Ruby Rose: I-I Hate You! (One-Shot Collection)
by WhiteRosePlanter
Summary: This is where my one-shots will be collected, so don't worry about hunting down a hundred different pages.
1. Ruby Rose: I-I Hate You!

**Welcome to the first one-shot short. Enjoy.**

Weiss stared in on her team, just visible through the crack between the door's edge and the frame that held it in place. Ruby was in there, cross-legged on the ground, while Blake and Yang were just out of sight, their voices echoing out into the hall. Each of them was laughing and the smile that Weiss saw playing over Ruby's lips was what drove her to make her choice.

It should have been an ordinary night, but Ruby needed to know. Weiss couldn't pretend anymore, and she deserved the truth. If she didn't tell her now, she might never be able to again, and Ruby would never truly understand why everything changed. So she would say it.

But she hesitated. What she said next could never be unsaid, never could be unheard or taken back. Everything would change irrevocably and not all of it for the better. Still, Ruby deserved the truth at the very least. She deserved a chance to be happy, and Weiss wouldn't lie to her or string her along any more.

The happy gleam of silver eyes caught her blue, and her mind was made up. Pushing into the room, she nodded to Blake. It was time. Leveling a finger at her partner, she did what she could not to break down.

"Ruby Rose: I..." she swallowed once and closed her eyes before saying the remainder in a shout, "I Hate You!"

The room went silent, and Ruby's expression fell into one of devastation. Yang looked furious, and attempted to stand up from her bed, when a hand stopped her from around her waist. Blake was leaning into her back and shaking her head gently.

"Weiss? What... what do you mean? What did I do?" Ruby's voice was like a child, begging for understanding as to why they were in trouble. It broke her heart, so she continued.

"What you've done? It's everything you've done. I hate that you stole my chances from being partners with Pyrrha, and breezing through everything without any need to grow! I hate that you forced me to break down the icy walls that I've been trying to build up since I was six! I hate that everyday since I met you I've been a little more like the girl I mean to be and a little less like the woman my family told me to be!"

Her eyes broke, and both girls began to cry, one with one emotion, the other in confused sorrow. Yang meanwhile, was staring open mouthed at Weiss, evidently having caught on too.

"I had to settle for co-team leader, which isn't even real! You made it up just for me, and I hate you for that too! I hate you for taking a childhood dream of bunk beds and bringing it to life in the most convoluted way possible! I hate you for each and every day where you treated me like your best friend instead of some celebrity, and even gave me advice when I didn't ask for it! You made me worry about you getting into trouble or getting hurt each time I wasn't around, and that was just the first semester!"

Weiss was outright bawling now, and everything about her screamed that she needed to be held by someone, to be given a hug to show her some form of love. Ruby meanwhile, still hadn't caught on, and was looking in fear from her wide-eyed sisters to the girl she'd spent more time with than anyone else.

"Then you decided that it wasn't just enough to be my friend, you had to be my best friend! You turned the entire lunchroom into a war zone over a pie, and decided to play the dramatics like I'd dies when I hit the pillar, as if you didn't know perfectly well I was fine! You made me play a board game for the first time in my life, and made up those pointless teams to stop me from getting close to Neptune: probably my first and only time being flustered by a guy, though a cheating bastard of a guy I'll admit."

Ruby was evidently reliving each moment as Weiss described it, and her shoulders hunched in a downcast stance. Still, she felt like something was... off.

"Then you had the audacity to make me feel jealous of another girl, who turned out to be a robot. You had me jealous of a glorified prosthetic! You never had a problem with my horrible jokes, tried to comfort me when Neptune didn't dance with me, and even offered to dance with me yourself! You absolutely destroyed my facade of self-respect with that adorable and amazing dog of yours, nearly gave me a heart attack when you disappeared, and forced me to realize just what you meant to me that night, not letting me pretend I was alright being your best friend for even another semester!"

Now Weiss moved in and clutched Ruby to her in a desperate hug, their similar heights making Ruby's shoulder and neck the perfect place to hide her tear-streaked face. Ruby gently hugged back, now knowing exactly what she was doing.

"I hate you, because you helped me see past the fake smile of my first and only boyfriend, and the truth of who exactly my family is! You were the one and only friend I brought to see Winter, and it wasn't because of who I didn't want to bring! I... I hate you for becoming the world's best huntress and forcing me to accept the silver as a consolation prize, forcing me to find a new dream instead of making it easy!"

Small circles were now being caressed into Weiss' back, the two girls slowly descending to kneel on the floor, still trapped in one another's embrace.

"You saved my soul and my life more times than I can count, made me see a little farmboy as a rival, forced me to confront myself and my father without letting me run, and of all these reasons to hate you, you gave me one more: You- you... you turned me into a lovesick little schoolgirl!"

"You let me cry and laugh like a person, not an heiress. Every morning, you made me wake up to a smile and warm silver eyes that always had to have laughter in them. Instead of being an Altesian beauty who broke hearts of girls and guys each night and enjoyed sex each night, you made me want to save myself for just one person, and accept that a bed filled with someone just for holding was better than mindless pleasure. And then there was your Valentines gift today."

Weiss pulled back, holding up her hand and pulled Ruby's along with. A red string was tied from pinky to pinky, the end trailing out the hall.

"The day I was most determined to spend miserable, you had me hunting through the halls since lunch, finding card after card of praise, only to find you playing the role of soulmate at the end!"

Weiss leaned in and gently kissed her girlfriend, clasping their hands together. A hint of their aura began to manifest, the vibrant red and pristine white meshing into a soft pink around their fingers.

"But what I hate about you most? It's right here. Our hands fit together so perfectly, like we're meant to be. But even more, I hate that our lips don't match, proving that this isn't destiny. This is my choice."

A slight echo sounded in Ruby's head, the whispered truth Weiss' soul was telling her when her voice couldn't.

"I hate you, more than anything in the world, and more than life itself."

_"I love you Ruby Rose to the day I die, more than living I love you."_

"If I could change one thing in my life, just one: it would be to have ignored you when you blew up my cases."

_ "...it would have be to say say yes when you asked me to dance."_

With that, Weiss broke down into the the uncontrollable sobs, her tears soaking into the red hood of her best and only partner, her one and only. Ruby caressed her white hair, gently whispering into her ear.

"I love you too, you dolt. You're so difficult sometimes."

"_Weiss Schnee, I'll never stop loving you. I love every perfection and every flaw in you."_

Weiss let out a small sob, mixed with what sounded like a laugh.

"I hate that you know what I'm thinking."

"Liar."

Ruby giggled as she said it, allowing Weiss to lift her up and carry her to the bed. As they curled up, the red string fell away, leaving only a single strand of pink aura connecting them as the pair curled up under the blankets and began to sleep, gently whispering as they drifted off.


	2. Living Too Many Times

Ruby rolled over, coughing up a small red splotch onto the snow beside her. Everything hurt, and if her prior experience was anything to go off of, something inside her was broken very badly. Her aura wouldn't be able to save her this time.

Looking up, she saw white against white, and barely made out Weiss, similarly laid out on the ground as flakes fell down from the sky. She crawled towards her partner, knowing they needed to get to somewhere with doctors soon, or they'd both end up as part of the scenery. But when her hand grasped Weiss' shoulder, she knew neither of them would be able to save the other this time.

She tried to gasp out the name of the girl she had come to love, but only let out a soft rasp. But her girlfriend heard her, and turned her head. Her eyes opened, the blue of the sky against the white of the snow: the very same shade as her irises and hair. Weiss reached back and took Ruby's hand.

"It looks like this is our last adventure, eh Dolt?" She mumbled, her vision obviously drifting in and out of focus on Ruby.

Shaking her head as much as she could, Ruby swallowed and tried to speak.

"No. I'll- I'll come find you... In our next lives...and all the ones after that."

Weiss smiled and gently ran her thumb across Ruby's cheek.

"I'd like that. I'll be sure to wait for you. Then… maybe we can finally have a quiet life together. Like we always talked about?"

Ruby could only nod this time, feeling their mingling blood draining out too quickly to keep herself conscious for long. As she lay down against the very soft chest of her love, she felt her own heart match pace with the one she heard below her ear. Then both paces slowed. Just before they stopped, Ruby placed a kiss over Weiss', silently promising her again.

Then, everything was gone.

The light was blinding, everything was loud, and all Ruby could do was flail and scream, trying to break free from the hands that held her. They were very large hands, she thought, and some part of her knew something was wrong. Her arms weren't long enough, and her body was too rounded. Her muscle was gone, and her thoughts were muddled.

Everything was emotional, need-based, and what little she could comprehend was pushed to the back of her mind. Time didn't seem to have any meaning, and for a very long while, all Ruby could do was wait and let herself react. She knew her name, and little else.

At some point, she began to think clearly again, and it came at a very dark time. Everything was dark, and there were wooden bars around her. Something soft was around her and below her, but Ruby didn't care yet. All that mattered now was that she could finally think. Had it been days, weeks, or merely hours since she had seen Weiss? Was she in some kind of hospital?

Attempting to sit up, Ruby found she couldn't move too much. Her body seemed to be very sluggish and weak, and for some reason she was very tired and hungry. She tried to call for a nurse, but instead only a small cry came out. She moved to touch her throat, and felt how very pudgy it had become. Moving to rub the sleep from her eyes, Ruby realized why she wasn't able to move. Her body was suddenly identical to that of a small child, more accurately: a baby.

Little else could frighten the once twenty-year old woman, but the knowledge that she'd died, and now was stuck in a new life was enough to break her. She cried openly, her instincts to cry for help overriding her better judgement, and simply mourned the loss of her Weiss, and her life. Yang, Blake, Penny, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Tai, Zwei, and Qrow were gone, and she'd never see them again. Most of all, she'd lost her chance to be with the person who made her happiest in that life.

Ruby would have cried all night, but she cut herself off when she saw the smiling woman in the doorway. The black-red hair, silver eyes, and white nightshirt were the same face and color scheme as she'd remembered her mother having. The smile turned sad when she noticed Ruby had stopped crying vocally, and instead was staring at the older woman with wonder and fresh tears.

Summer Rose began to speak in a strange language, walking over and taking Ruby into her arms, rocking gently. Ruby pressed close to her mother, not daring to believe it until Summer's words changed.

"I'll bet you just got settled enough to remember. Oh Ruby, I've waited so long to see you again."

Ruby simply continued to weep, holding her mother close as she spoke.

"I know what it's like, being born all over again. It only happens when you aren't finished living, and you need to start over. Tai didn't remember, and neither did anyone else we knew back on Remnant, so far as I can tell. But I left you and Yang behind… I'm sorry Ruby. That's why I'm here now, so I can be here for you this time."

Summer pulled Ruby around and smiled with tears from her own silver eyes.

"Since you showed up first, and not Yang, I'm guessing your love got cut short? Don't worry, I'll help you find them again, when you're old enough."

Ruby sighed in relief, knowing she was safe. Closing her eyes, she simply waited for sleep to take her, knowing one day she could find Weiss again. Find everyone…

* * *

**Lifetime 1:**

Learning the language of this new world was hard, but Ruby made sure to give it her whole effort. She couldn't be a huntress here, with no such thing as Aura or Grimm, but that meant she could focus her whole attention on finding Weiss again. She'd promised.

But even with her ultimate goal, Ruby wasn't going to forget to live. When they adopted Yang (this time Ruby's junior by four years), Ruby decided to pay her back as the new best older sister ever. Even when Yang learned to talk, and it was clear she didn't remember anything from before, Ruby made sure to love her in every way she knew how.

When a certain book-ish noirette moved into the neighborhood, Ruby was always careful to cover for her sister's running off. When Yang was having trouble understanding something in school, and broke down over not being as smart as Blake, Ruby was there to help her. When it came time for Yang to ask her big sister for help on what she was feeling when Blake smiled at her, Ruby told her the secret that helped Yang understand that she was simply feeling her heart remembering what her mind couldn't.

But her own luck in love wasn't so great. Ruby reached college before she saw the white hair of a Schnee, and then it was only that of Winter, her tutor. Still, it was a step forward that she'd gratefully taken.

On their fifth study session, Ruby was ready to see if she'd met another rememberer. Looking up from her math, she said just one word in the old language she'd retained from Remnant.

"Winter?"

The other girl gasped and looked up in surprise.

"You-"

Ruby nodded.

Winter's expression became one of relief, but then fell into absolute sorrow.

"Oh Ruby… I'm so sorry."

Her heart plummeted, knowing why Winter was sorry.

"She- she doesn't-"

Winter shook her head.

"And… she's not quite the same. She's… she had an accident when she was little, and…"

Winter swallowed and shook her head, tearing up.

"She's stuck in a wheelchair, and since her depression set in... I've been trying to find you for years, hoping you'd fall in love again and take care of her like you used to. But if she doesn't remember you…"

Ruby wasn't listening anymore. For Weiss to not remember, for her to consider her life finished after she died on Remnant, it made Ruby's head spin with the possibilities. Was it because she hadn't really loved Ruby?

Winter seemed to be some kind of mind-reader, as usual, and placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"I'll tell you what I do know. When we were back on Remnant, Weiss loved you dearly. She wouldn't shut up about you, and I don't think it was a facade. I know my sister's faking, even if she's older than me this time."

"I know, it's weird, right?" Ruby said, trying to get her composure back. "But if she did, then why…?"

Winter shrugged.

"I don't know. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because Weiss felt she was complete just to be with you, and she didn't need anything more."

Ruby mulled that information over, and nodded. That seemed like the sort of logical acceptance Weiss used to have.

"Can you take me to her?"

And so, Ruby met Weiss again. She learned to make machines that could improve the paralized girl's life, and tried not to cry each time she saw no hint of the love she'd once seen within the crystal blue eyes.

It took three more years before Weiss even believed Ruby was sincere enough to accept her offer of a date. There'd been a second, and then a third. Ruby had managed to sneak in a goodnight kiss on the fourth. But then, everything went wrong. Weiss started to pull away, and one day she simply asked Ruby to stop coming to see her. The Schnee family didn't allow her near their fragile daughter, and Ruby simply had to wait.

Then the news came: Weiss had stopped taking her medication, and now she was beyond Ruby's reach forever. Summer, Winter, and Ruby hadn't come out from the small room they'd shared at the Schnee mansion for several days, crying and letting Ruby scream.

She'd finished her goal, and made it back to Weiss. Kissed her that final time, told her she loved her before she'd slept. When Ruby disappeared, they knew exactly why she was gone, and that she wasn't coming home.

* * *

**Lifetime 2:**

Weiss shot up from her bed, gasping for air. She'd had the nightmare again, her wheelchair plummeting through the air, caught between the last seconds she'd had in her last life, able to remember everything for the final heartbeat she'd owned. She hadn't apologized to Ruby, or explained that she was scared of falling in love. Now, she was the one who had to start over, with two short lifetimes crammed into her head, and a Ruby who didn't remember anything, wandering out there… somewhere.

She waited. She searched. She tried everything she could, but the small arrow on her hand never moved. She'd been granted a gift this time, a tool to find Ruby. This world had tattoos that would point to someone's soulmate, and Weiss was waiting for hers to bring her home.

The years passed, as the ink faded. Weiss lived, and wondered. Then, time seemed to lose all meaning. When the arrow finally spun in circles and directed her to the silver-eyed girl sitting across from her, Weiss cried. Ruby's arrow spun to point at her as well, and the girl laughed, amused by something.

"I guess it makes sense, two people who don't have much longer being told they're soulmates."

Weiss nodded, gently adjusting her glasses on her nose. Ruby was with a group of cancer children visiting the library, and she'd wanted to check out the romance section. Of course, that meant being sent to see old Miss Schnee, the seventy-three year old librarian, who spent her days reading stories about lost love.

"I don't suspect we'll get much time together. Perhaps that's for the best. You deserve someone young, anyways."

Ruby laughed and scooted over to sit by Weiss.

"Maybe, but I've only got a few more weeks anyways, so what's the point?"

Weiss smiled and offered her book.

"Then I suppose I can share this secret with you."

"What secret's that?"

"I've been waiting for you, Ruby. I met you two lifetimes ago, and now I've finally found you again. I just needed to tell you… I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"I didn't have the courage to fall in love with you last time. Will you promise me that you'll remember for our next lifetimes? I feel like we should try getting this right at least once."

Ruby smiled.

"Sure. See you on the other side, partner."

Weiss smiled, happy she'd finally got to see her Ruby again, if only once.

Ruby never came back, but Weiss knew not to worry. She'd see her soon enough.

* * *

**Lifetime 3:**

The bench was very cold, and that was all she knew. Ruby was freezing, and she couldn't see what was killing her. Her eyes hadn't worked this time, and instead she'd been cursed with three short lives and a promise that couldn't be kept. But then something a little warmer met her cheek.

"Giving up so easily?"

Ruby felt her hand taken in a familiar grip, and someone sat down beside her.

"W-Weiss?"

"Would anyone else kiss a complete stranger like you?"

Ruby felt her eyes grow wet, and she pulled the form of Weiss into a hug.

"Why did I have to mess this up? I was born blind, and then I cut my entire life short trying to look for you."

"Well, that doesn't matter now. I found you, and we're going home. I've got a warm bath, and a cozy bed waiting for us."

"I hope this isn't our last run. I don't want our last lifetime together to be started in our thirties without even getting to see you."

"Either way, I'm not wasting this lifetime like the last ones. You?"

Ruby's arms pulled Weiss close as they walked down wherever they were.

"No, I'm going to spend every second I can with you."

"Good, because I've been waiting way too long to have a family with you, sight or no sight."

"Alright Weiss... "

Turning her face to where Weiss' voice came from, she smiled sadly.

"I love you."

"Say that with a real smile, and I'll believe you."

Then the familiar lips pressed to her own once again.

* * *

**Lifetime 4:**

Ruby fell over, unable to keep her balance as she hit the suitcases that had suddenly appeared behind her. A small "oof!" escaped her as she hid the hard stone.

"What are you doing?!" Came a prissy voice from above her.

"Oh, sor-" Ruby's voice stopped as she caught sight of the girl above her. "-ry…"

Weiss looked at her intently, her eyes shifting from anger to confusion.

"Have we met before?" The pair asked simultaneously, their gazes moving from the others' face to their eyes.

Silver eyes met blue, and everything came rushing back.

"You're supposed to sneeze…"

"You're supposed to be angry."

"I'd rather ask why we're back on Remnant."

"I don't care. You're here, I'm here, and everything's how it used to be. You're not old or depressed, I'm not blind or full of cancer, and we finally get to be together from day one."

Weiss offered her hand.

"Well then, I'm Weiss Schnee. Nice to meet you, Love of my Lives."

"Nice to meet you too, Soulmate. I'm Ruby Rose."

As the pair headed for the auditorium, Weiss grinned at her girlfriend.

"You think we should explain anything to them, or just get married again?"

"Let's stick to pretending to be new friends for now. I'd hate to lose you to something stupid again, like Yang."

"Agreed."

"I wonder why we got another time? I seem to remember being very happy."

"Because I promised to find you every time."


	3. White Day Special! Double Feature!

**Happy White Day everyone! (For those of you without a clue as to what White Day is, get a clue, it's awesome and I can't explain it here without missing most of the coolness.) Seeing as it's such a cool day, I figured I'd give you all a treat with a special double feature! Now, sit back and relax while I tell you the tales of Weiss and Ruby: but not quite right.**

* * *

**Who are you? Yours, and that's all I need to know.**

Weiss had been on many dates. Many, many, many dates. Too many, if she was being honest. With how many she'd been on, she ought to have met someone at least halfway decent, right? But no, she hadn't met even one person she could ever come close to even tolerating in something resembling a relationship.

However, despite all of those poor dates, some set up and some she'd put together, this one had been the very worst. Her plus one had been rude, absentminded, blunt, and not even the tiniest bit polite. She'd had to endure a lack of any decorum, and no single moment of the date had she felt the girl sitting opposite her was even remotely trying to be there for anything but the food. Why had she agreed to go on a date with her two weeks ago? She couldn't remember anymore.

Now, having ditched the heathen at the car when she'd insinuated she'd somehow earned a goodnight kiss, (the more insulting part being that it had been phrased and intentioned like Weiss had been the one who'd earned the kiss), Weiss was back in her locked apartment. She hadn't bothered to turn on the lights, but had instead simply showered to try and wash away the disgusted sensation of being around her date, and then slipped into her nightgown to sleep.

As she slipped into her bed, Weiss found it partially filled with her closest friend, and the best thing she'd ever known: Piro. Piro was the name she'd given the item when she'd first received it, having just started with her Japanese and not being very creative in naming at the time. As such, she'd taken the word pillow, and turned it into what sounded like "pea-rho."

It was a pillow, about three times as long as a normal bed-pillow, and made of a soft brown material that was almost like that of a fluffy quilt. The lining around the center was made from real silver thread, and as Winter had told her when giving it to her, was supposed to be the silver thread in her cotton ball cloud of a life. She was absolutely beautiful, and Weiss wouldn't trade her for the world.

When she'd explained that to one of her friends (a certain feline bookworm who similarly found no love in life), she'd had to explain her adamance that Piro was female, not just an inanimate object. Blake had laughed at that at the time, but nowadays she had her own body-pillow made in the same design.

"Hello Pi_r_o," Weiss greeted the item, rolling her tongue on the 'r', before snuggling into the soft fabric, "I guess you're the only one for me. My silver lining."

Weiss pulled the covers over her and her only love, and tried to sleep. As often happened, the part of Piro closest to her eyes became damp from Weiss' tears as she curled into the soft item, crying herself to a very lonely sleep.

"If only you could be real, and not just my pillow…" Weiss whimpered, half asleep.

. . .

Her cry did not go unheard. The three gods who ruled the world Weiss inhabited were often listening to the unconscious pleadings of their children, trying to help without taking away the chance for them to choose and improve themselves. The first was one of darkness, though not evil. The second was one of light, though not good. The last was the first: their father, Oum the Creator.

That night had been filled with small requests for safety, sleep, health, love, and many other things that were sometimes scarce in life. The brothers had done what they could, and used their best judgement on when to give, when to take, and when to leave be. Some needed to pass their tests to gain strength, while others were suffering before their time and needed slight gifts to help ease their burdens. But before they could pass by the city of Atlas, the two brothers were halted.

"Do you not think you have caused this little one enough pain? Her father's cruelty, her mother's absence, her friends' scarcity, and now her love's unreality?"

The two brothers looked to one another and relented.

"Very well then. Where have you hidden her soulmate? We shall let them meet at once."

The light god merely opened his palm, revealing a young girl with brown hair, curled into a ball and sleeping soundly.

"I see. To have her born now would be pointless. Perhaps we shall have a small miracle tonight, hm?"

. . .

The next morning, Weiss awoke to feel her tears gone, and a very happy feeling in her chest. She didn't know why, but she didn't question it. Instead, Weiss simply curled closer into Piro, and enjoyed having her arms wrapped lovingly around her as well. Wait… arms?

Opening one crystal blue eye, Weiss looked at the pillow she was holding and laying her head on. A pair of arms were what she saw, not the brown of her Piro. Weiss pulled back slightly, and found her head had been resting over the heart of a strange girl she'd never seen before. She looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd seen her before.

Her hair was the same color as Piro's fabric, and her half-parted eyelids revealed eyes of the same silver that threaded her. Creme colored skin, a very simple white gown like her own, and a physique that spoke of good exercise, though nothing intense enough to make her a bodybuilder. She seemed about Weiss' own age.

"Hm- Weiss? Come back to bed, it's too early to get up." She mumbled sleepily.

The arms wrapped around Weiss' waist and pulled her in to rest comfortably where she'd been before. Weiss however, was not easily persuaded by comfortable strangers who invaded her blankets.

"Who are you? How'd you get in here?" She asked, a little worried, but mostly angry.

The girl simply mumbled something, and rolled so she was laying on Weiss instead. Feeling her own heartbeat speed up slightly, Weiss' next words were cut off by a slight giggle from the girl on her chest.

"Hehe, you're heart sounds funny. Does mine sound like this?"

Being somewhat weirded out by that point, Weiss gently pushed the girl off of her and slid out of bed.

"Look, I don't know who you are, and I have half a mind to call the police on you. So if you don't start talking right now, we're going to have trouble, Miss."

The silver eyes opened again, and looked at Weiss with a mildly annoyed expression.

"You don't know your Ruby?" She asked sleepily. 'Ruby' rolled over and sat up, stretching slightly.

"I mean, I know I didn't get to be my normal me so far, but you still should know your Ruby!"

"I don't have '_A Ruby'_. And what do you mean, so far?"

Ruby yawned and seemed to wake up a little more, crossing her legs and looking into Weiss' eyes intently.

"Hm… I guess you don't remember… Well, I guess I'll have to remind you how we met this time. You see, Winter gave me to you when you were about seventeen, and you've used me to sleep on ever since. You held me when you were cold, cried on me when you were sad, relaxed on me while you read those kinky books and fan fictions-"

"I what?!"

Ruby giggled and leaned in to gently tap Weiss' nose.

"I was Piro, silly. The whole time. You were waiting to meet your soulmate, but someone upstairs was playing a mean trick on us, so I wasn't born this time around. But, seeing as you've been having the worst kind of luck these days, I managed to pull a few strings and now: here I am!"

Weiss had heard a lot of stories but this one was very much the dumbest and most illogical she'd ever encountered.

"Firstly, pillows do not turn into people. Secondly, you couldn't pull any strings on anything without pulling the whole fabric apart. Thirdly, I don't believe in whatever it is you're going on about with soulmates and gods or whatever, so if you're trying to get something it isn't going to work."

Despite her words, Ruby wasn't dissuaded. Instead of trying to backpedal, explain her story, or any other action Weiss expected, she simply shrugged and lay back down.

"Doesn't matter if you believe that's what happened, it is what it is, and I'm here now. I don't have any family, any records, not even a good dental plan. So, until you can conjure up impossible history for a pillow who just turned into your dream girl, I'm gonna go back to sleep."

She reached out to Weiss in a slightly childish gesture.

"Snuggle me?"

Weiss declined, and instead went to get her phone. She'd figure out how this girl got in, how she knew these things, and then have her arrested. Besides, how could a lunatic who thought she was transformed from a pillow be her dream girl? Her dream girl was- was…

Staring at her phone without seeing it, Weiss tried to think about what she'd once envisioned as her perfect partner. The physical aspects were all there, right down to the childish cuteness and their nearly identical heights. Personality wise, she seemed fine, if a little crazy. The only thing missing was the rather large issue of her sudden appearance and the suspicious nature of her being in Weiss' bed.

Making a decision she probably would regret later, Weiss called Blake. Blake could pull up the records for this girl without making a big fuss, and if there was anyone who would be here in twenty minutes with no questions and a fingerprint scanner, it would be the cat-eared bookworm.

It took nearly half an hour before Blake pulled up to the apartment complex, but when she did, she was in business mode.

"Weiss, I'm not taking fingerprints off a sleeping girl you just slept with."

"I didn't sleep with her, I just kind of… woke up to her."

"Right."

Despite her protest, Blake was indeed already taking Ruby's fingerprints.

"H-hey, Blake that tickles. Only Weiss can tickle me."

That raised eyebrows that Weiss very much wanted not to be raised.

"I swear, I don't know this girl. She just showed up, claimed to be Piro, and said something about being soulmates or something. The way she went on, you'd think she was my girlfriend, but I've never seen her before."

"Technically Wife, but none of our marriages ever lasted after we died, legally speaking." Came a very muffled retort from Ruby, who'd gone into the covers after her fingers had been checked.

Weiss gave Blake a look that said '_You see?'_ Blake looked back with nothing but a grin.

"Well, why don't you get some breakfast while I run her records? Meanwhile, why don't you tell me about last night Ruby?"

A sigh came from inside the sheets, and Ruby's head popped back up.

"Fine. Blake, can you call Yang for me? I need someone who believes me to help out."

That gave Blake pause.

"How do you-"

"Oh, have you not found her yet? Dang it, this is why I hate getting born last!"

Blake shook her head and leaned forward.

"How do you know about Yang? I've never told anyone her name."

"What do you mean?"

"Weiss had Piro, which you claim to be. About a year ago, I first bought myself Yang. Are you running some scam to replace our pillows so you can get something?"

Her tone had turned accusatory, but Ruby seemed genuinely shocked.

"I- we'd never do that to you!"

The tears that started to build in the honest and sincere silver eyes proved to Blake that Ruby was being completely truthful. That, and the return of the data. No person existed in any part of the world with her fingerprints, DNA, or even a similar match in name and appearance. Ruby had simply appeared today, and that was all there was to it.

"Alright, I'm trusting you on this. Weiss is about the closest thing I have to family, and that goes both ways. If you hurt her…"

She let the threat hang, and Ruby nodded vigorously.

"It's always fun when I'm the one getting the 'big sister talk'. Usually Yang gives it to Weiss. Speaking of which, if you already have Yang as a pillow, maybe she'll come to life too? I mean, that's why you named her, right? You always did like being the Yin."

Blake nodded. She had indeed been waiting for a while, and Ruby had guessed her naming concept perfectly. Perhaps there was room in the world for a few miracles after all.

Weiss came back to find Ruby laying on her stomach, putting her head about on the same level as Blake's who was sitting cross-legged on the floor. She silently handed the pair their cups of coffee, as well as sending Blake a questioning look. The returned expression was one of reassurance. Ruby was clean.

A gasp of joyful surprise came from Weiss' bed as she sat down beside Blake, and when she turned to look at Ruby, she found the girl was grinning ear to ear, holding her cup like it was the most amazing gift she'd ever received.

"You remembered!"

"Remembered what?" Weiss asked, a bit confused. It was only coffee, after all.

"You remembered the way I like it. I must have told you millions of times before now, but this time you just knew!"

Ruby inhaled the scent before taking another sip. Then, she seemed to get startled by something and slipped out of the bed and onto the floor.

"Which reminds me, you don't like us eating in bed."

Had Weiss thought about it, she would have told Ruby off and had her vacate the sleeping furniture more quickly. She also would have cursed the little flutter her heart gave when she heard the word 'us.' As it was, Weiss was left to regret not doing those things and instead led the way out to the table for breakfast.

She'd whipped up some eggs and biscuits, luckily having both the skill of cooking and the advantage of ready-make biscuits to easily prepare a suitable meal. Had she known Blake was coming, she would have prepared yesterday and made something more tasty. Ruby wouldn't care either way, she'd say it was delicious, eat it all, and then find something sweet to snack on. But how did she know that?

"Wow, this is really good Weiss! I guess you like cooking no matter what, huh?"

"I suppose so… and you like things that are sweet, right?"

Ruby's smile could have turned even the most frigid morning to springtime, and she nodded gleefully as Weiss blushed.

"Sweet things like cookies, strawberries, and you!"

"In that order?" Blake asked, her cat's grin coming on with a vengeance.

"Of course. Just like your order is: in the Sun, at the library, and on Yang."

Her tone was so matter-of-fact, that Weiss took a second to comprehend what Ruby had just said. Blake's blush gave away the fact that it was rather personal.

"Order for…?"

"Places she likes to take naps."

"Ah."

That seemed to break Blake entirely. She spent the rest of the meal in absolute silence, while Weiss started testing Ruby's knowledge.

She scored perfectly on anything that had to do with Weiss' personality, tastes, or habits; but didn't seem to know anything about her actual life, her family, what she did, or anything else that she ought to have known if she had even passingly asked about Weiss on the street. Ruby knew the Weiss at the center of her soul, but not a single bit of the layers around it.

"Well, I can see I'm butting in. You two love-birds take it easy, kay?"

Weiss sputtered at her words, but Ruby simply waved.

"Got it. Have a safe trip home, say hi to Yang for me!"

"W-wait!"

Before Weiss could say anything more, her noirette friend was out the door. The girls were left in silence for a few minutes, Ruby munching on the short-bread cookie she'd found, and Weiss staring at the door in betrayal.

"Hey, Weiss? Since it's the weekend, do you wanna go on a date?"

"I-" Weiss sighed and shook her head in defeat. "I'm not getting rid of you, am I?"

"Nope!"

"I suppose it wouldn't be the worst thing to do."

"You wouldn't be embarrassed going out with your pillow?"

"Why would I be embarrassed? That's a dream come true."

…

As Blake entered her little house, she knew something was off. It was warmer than usual, comfortable in a way she hadn't often experienced. The heat was excellent for nap-taking, and so she ran directly to her room, where she found the source of the heat.

"Snuggle m-"

Before the newly reborn blonde could finish her attempt at teasing her partner, Blake was already on top of her and nuzzling into her neck.

"Shhhhh, it's nap time."

* * *

**How much you love me, before I tell you I hate you.**

Something was very, very wrong. Weiss woke up in her bunk as she did every day, and she knew what ought to be where. Yang would be snoring, Blake reading, Ruby curled up in her arms, the sun starting to peek into the window, and the floor would still be impeccably clean. Instead, she was all alone, and the floor was covered in something.

Weiss sat up, a little bothered, and found out what covered the floor, as well as her left pinky. It was a red aura string: normal string that was enhanced with a person's aura to be nearly unbreakable. Every so often, the string on the ground was interrupted by a knot, where a blank white card would be fastened. If the string was any indication, then they'd be aura cards: unreadable to anyone but the person who's aura was used to write them.

Deciding to start this very long day correctly, Weiss put on her casual skirt and top before picking up the first card. She was impressed when the string shrank to become taught with the first knot when she brought her hand close to it, the red line vanishing into itself until the card fell free. Whoever had set this up had mastered aura, and was evidently willing to waste an entire day's worth just for her.

Weiss smiled softly at the thought of just who might have left her these cards. Deciding to find out for certain, she poured her aura into the card, revealing the scarlet letters. She was right. Only Ruby's aura had spent enough time merged with her own to pull off such a trick. It seemed Ruby wanted to play soulmate again.

_Dear Weiss, I know I did this for you last year on Valentine's day, but this year I heard about a new kind of holiday I wanted to try. That's why I didn't get you anything last month. Please enjoy these cards, and don't worry, there are only a few this time. Your love, Ruby._

Pocketing the card, Weiss grinned and started to gather up the thread, watching it shrink in length as she gathered up her list of praises and little poems from her girlfriend. Some were heart-touching cute, while others were cheesily romantic, and a few cheek-burning suggestive. Weiss loved each one, pocketing the cards and promising herself she'd keep them with her forever. However, as she reached the doorway, the card there gave her pause.

_This door has been walked through by so many people, at so many times, and for so many reasons. I dropped water on you from here, and you got me back with some ice (by the way, that was a good idea, but we need to work on putting your pranks into safe practice). Zwei first met you after passing through it, and you finally worked up the courage to tell me how you felt by watching through the crack on the side. Maybe this time, you can walk through it and send me a little bit of your bravery?_

The cards resumed their normal pattern of love and affection after that, but Weiss wondered what had inspired that one to change. She eagerly looked for another that would continue the story. She didn't have to wait long. The next was at the entrance to the school, only four cards afterwards.

_I've always admired your bravery. Each day, walking through these doors, and making your way past initiation to get inside them so long ago… that's why I've decided to make this White Day the day I'm brave for you._

There was a strange speed to Weiss' heart now. Ruby was already very brave, and she'd done just as much as Weiss had in terms of risk. She'd teased her about it, of course, calling her own trait courage and Ruby's a mixture of childishness, stupidity, and recklessness; but she knew that no one believed for even a second that it was true.

Ruby was intelligent, caring, compassionate, and selfless. She was brave in ways that Weiss had never known before, affectionate at times that no one knew they needed it, and diverse in her skills of spreading joy to the point that her smile could cheer up a new student across the lunch room, reassure Pyrrha about her date plans across the table, and spark Weiss' desire to reward her with a peck on the cheek; all without changing even a single muscle.

There shouldn't have been a single thing on Remnant that had Ruby asking Weiss for courage. However, when Weiss reached a certain burn mark in the stone, and found the string turned sharply from the card on the burn to rustle back and forth in the nearby tree, she knew that something was up.

_I met you, on this spot. It was the worst way to meet someone. It was all my fault: I broke your things, sneezed on you, blew you up, froze you, electrocuted you, and bothered you all at once. And yet, you didn't really get mean. You told me off, you called me a few names out of anger, tried to make sure I wasn't going to get hurt, and then…then you tried to help me get better. You did so much for me, despite my trying to be better and older than I was._

_I would have never made it this far without you, Weiss. I would have dropped out in our second semester, from the work-load alone, and reapplied about this year, actually. But then a certain somebody brought me coffee and promised me the best thing a girl can get promised: To have the best partner ever._

_Well, now it's my turn to promise you back. But this promise I can't make on my own. I need to ask your permission first, and I'm really scared. You said I can ask you anything, so long as I can justify it in being a better huntress or a better person, and this question fits into both of those really good. But even knowing that, I still don't know if I can ask._

_Look at the burn mark for me. If I'm standing on it, then please put the card away. If I chickened out, please forgive me._

Looking at the empty spot before her, Weiss gently put the card away and gave the little string around her finger a tug. The tug back told her Ruby was still in the tree. So, Weiss abandoned the scar in the road, and instead walked to the tree, summoned a black glyph to lift her into the branches, and sat down beside the curled up form of Ruby Rose.

"You okay?"

Ruby shook her head.

"I couldn't do it. I got it for you special, just for today, and I couldn't even give you your gift." Came the muffled response.

Weiss smiled knowingly and pulled Ruby into a hug.

"How about we trade then? I'll give you a white present if you give me a white present."

Ruby looked up sadly.

"But I'm supposed to be the one giving you the gift today."

"I like to spoil my girlfriend, is that so wrong?"

"I guess not. But I- I still don't know if I can ask you... "

Weiss rolled her eyes and offered her hand.

"Yes. Yes. Me. I do. Of course you did, dolt."

Ruby looked confusedly up at her girlfriend, not sure what she'd just heard.

"Those are the answers to the next five things you're going to ask me. Now, why don't you try to get the questions?"

Ruby nodded and took Weiss' hand. She offered up a small box, which popped open to reveal a ring with a small white gemstone, set into white-gold, and edged with a slight red hue.

"Marry me?"

A grin was her only response. She'd already answered, after all.

"You sure?"

The grin widened.

"So your white gift back was…?"

Weiss leaned in and kissed Ruby's nose.

"You're too smart sometimes, you know that?"

That one got a laugh out of both of them, before Ruby froze in shock and swore quietly.

"Did I just get engaged to someone so smart they can see the future?" She half-muttered to herself.

Before Ruby could react to the final correct prediction, Weiss pulled her into a real kiss, capturing her lips for twenty seconds before pulling away.

"Come on, let's get back to the room. I didn't get a full night's sleep because an old girlfriend of mine decided to play with cardstock and strings this morning."

Ruby laughed and slid out of the tree, curling up onto Weiss' arm as they made their way back up to the school.

"If we hurry, we can still get breakfast, and you can break the news to everyone."

"What news? That I'm not dating you anymore? Hardly good news to be excited about, especially from your perspective."

"Weiss?"

"Yes?"

"No more engagement jokes. Dad's going to be putting me through the gauntlet the minute he finds out about it."

"As you wish."

* * *

**And there you are! Remember to comment, critique, send in ideas and OC's, and enjoy! Next chapter to update will be for Curse of the Soul, so keep an eye out for that. As always, Love you all!**


End file.
